Kilclief Castle Co Down

There are examples of our history and heritage scattered across Ulster, on Friday I visited Kilclief and found this gem within a short car drive of where I live, of course I forgot my camera and so revisited the following day.  

Kilclief Castle is really a tower-house built by John Sely, bishop of Down, between 1413 and 1441.  It is one of the earliest tower-house in County Down, and is similar in design to many other tower-houses in the county.

Its features include the high machicolation arch between projecting towers, a local feature displayed here, at Audley’s Castle and at Margaret’s and Jordan’s Castles in Ardglass. The machicolation protects the entrance leading to a spiral stair in the south-east tower.  In the north-east tower is a latrine shaft with access from three of the four floors. 

As at Jordan’s Castle, the ground floor chamber has a semicircular barrel vault built on wicker centring. On the second floor a 13th century coffin-lid from the nearby church was reused as a lintel for the fireplace and on the third floor crosses can be seen cut into a window.

Just up the road a short distance is Kilclief Parish Church built in 1825 on the site of a much earlier church dating back to the time of Kilclief Castle.